All Immigrants To Quebec To Be Francophone By 2026, Says Provincial Premier

Colin Singer
-
0
All Immigrants To Quebec To Be Francophone By 2026, Says Provincial Premier

Quebec Premier François Legault says he wants all immigrants coming to the francophone province under economic immigration programs to already speak French.

In October, his Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) won a majority in the Quebec general election. 

During that provincial election campaign, Legault made it clear he considers high levels of immigration to Quebec to pose a threat to the future of the French language in the province and the Quebecois cultural identity. 

Read More Canada Immigration News

Quebeckers Want More Immigration, But Provincial Government Says No
Quebec Says It Can Only Take 50,000 Immigrants Despite Huge Rise In Canada’s Intake
Christine Frechette Takes Over From Jean Boulet As Quebec Immigration Minister

He told a business audience that raising immigration levels would be “suicidal” to the French language and insisted that Quebec must not accept substantially more than 50,000 new permanent residents annually.

 Now, there’s a new twist to Legault’s views on immigration to La Belle Province. 

In a speech to open the 43rd session of the National Assembly of Quebec, Legault made it clear that stopping the decline of the use of French in the province is one of his top priorities.

He sees francophone immigration as vital to achieving that goal.

By 2026, all economic immigrants to Quebec will have to be francophone under Legault’s vision.

“Previous Parti Québécois and Liberal Party governments accepted that 50 per cent (of economic immigrants to Quebec) speak French,” Legault is reported as saying in French in the Le Soleil daily newspaper. 

“We have succeeded in the economic immigration categories in increasing that to 80 per cent and we must reach 100 per cent.”

Montreal Is Becoming Less Francophone As Immigration Has Increased

In the past two decades, the proportion of people who speak French on the island of Montreal has dropped from 54 per cent to 48 per cent – and that concerns the Quebec premier.

The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals that in the first nine months of this year, economic immigration accounted for almost 65.1 per cent of total immigration to Quebec.

Through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Caregiver, and Skilled Worker programs as well as the Entrepreneur, Investor and Self-Employed economic programs, Quebec welcomed 34,165 new permanent residents in the first nine months of 2022.

Watch Video

Although Quebec is well on track to receive 69,987 new permanent residents this year as it makes up for the drop in immigration during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the provincial immigration minister and Legault have made it clear they will not raise the provincial immigration target much above the current 50,000.

“It is up to Quebec to set its own targets for permanent immigration,” tweeted provincial Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette in French after the provincial election.

“The upper limit for Quebec is now 50,000 (new permanent residents) due to our capacity to welcome, provide French-language services and integrate them.”

Quebec Is Already Welcoming More Immigrants Per Capita Than Either The U.S. Or France

The francophone province’s immigration minister has maintained that Quebec is already welcoming proportionately more immigrants than either the United States or France.

“Our position has remained the same: we need more control over immigration to protect the French language,” tweeted Fréchette.

In that tweet – retweeted by Legault without additional comment – the Quebec immigration minister wrote she would be continuing talks with federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

In the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, Ottawa is targeting 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023, 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.

That’s a total of 1.45 million immigrants to Canada over the coming three years.

Under a provincial-federal agreement, Quebec’s annual share of new permanent residents is to be equal to its demographic clout within Canada. Since the province has 23 per cent of the country’s population, a national immigration target of 465,000 new permanent residents would mean Quebec could accept up to 106,950 new permanent residents next year.

By 2025, that number would rise to 115,000.

But Legault’s CAQ government is steadfast in its opposition to that level of immigration to the province because Quebec lacks the ability to integrate that many newcomers into the Quebecois society every year.

Canada The G7’s Most Educated Country Thanks To Highly-Qualified Immigrants

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada The G7’s Most Educated Country Thanks To Highly-Qualified Immigrants

Canada’s workforce is the most educated of any of the G7 countries, thanks in a large part to highly-educated immigrants.

G7 countries include Canada and also France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. The European Union (EU) is also a non-enumerated member.

And Canadian workers are at the top of the heap.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Canada Job Vacancies At Nearly 995,000 In September
Canada Labour Shortage: Top 10 Most In-Demand Jobs In Alberta
Canada Urged To Boost PNP Slots For International Students

“Canada has a larger share of the population with a college or university credential than any other country in the G7,” reports Statistics Canada. “The share with a bachelor’s degree or higher continues to rise with an influx of highly-educated immigrants and a growing number of young adults completing degrees.”

In a report released on the last day of November, the statistical and demographic services agency underscored the importance of a highly-educated workforce for Canada’s continued economic growth.

“Leveraging these credentials is important as more of the population nears retirement age,” notes Statistics Canada.

“Moreover, Canada faces a labour crunch, with high employment, record-low unemployment and record-high job vacancies. Capitalizing on our highly-educated population is key to ensuring that Canada has enough trained workers to fill the spaces left by retirements.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the more highly-educated workers were better equipped to land new jobs when their old ones vanished during the initial round of lockdowns and stringent public health restrictions.

“According to the Labour Force Survey, those with a bachelor’s degree or higher were less likely to feel the initial unemployment shocks in April 2020, and their employment rate recovered faster, regaining pre-pandemic levels by November 2020,” notes Statistics Canada.

“The employment rates of those with lower levels of education largely did not return to pre-pandemic levels until autumn 2021.”

Points-Based CRS Gives An Edge To Immigrants With More Education

One of the reasons so many immigrants to Canada have such a high level of education is the way profiles in the Express Entry pool are ranked through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The federal government identifies the highest-ranked candidates and issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

Under the points-based CRS, applicants are given more points for higher levels of education.

While a high school graduate can get 28 points for his or her education, an applicant with a bachelor’s degree can get 112 points, someone with a masters can get 126, and a PhD graduate can get the maximum 140 points in the education category.

Watch Video

That alone can make the difference between receiving an ITA or missing out.

But there’s a bit more to it than just the points given for the amount of education. 

The CRS system also gives out points for Canadian work experience – and international students at Canadian universities and colleges can get that needed work experience to apply for permanent residence with only a study permit.

And many international students in Canada who want to immigrate here get a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) upon graduation to get even more work experience.

Immigrants Made Up Half The Growth Of Those With University Degrees Over A Five-Year Period

Canadian work experience can add another 70 or 80 points, depending on whether the applicant is immigrating with a spouse or common-law partner or not.  

Add to that the extra time in Canada to perfect English and French language skills, which also count towards the CRS score, and it’s clear the Express Entry immigration programs tend to favour international students who graduated and worked in Canada and have picked up solid language skills.

During the five years that ended in 2021, Canada’s working-age population saw a 19.1 per cent bump up in the number of people with at least a bachelor’s degree while those with apprenticeship certificates saw little movement.

That’s a big problem for Canada because many of the industries looking for tradespeople are booming.

“The number of working-age apprenticeship certificate holders has stagnated or fallen in three major trades fields, in construction trades which saw a 0.6 per cent drop, mechanic and repair technologies which fell by 7.8 per cent, and precision production that slumped by 10 per cent, as fewer young workers replace the baby boomers who are retiring,” reports Statistics Canada.

“Job vacancies in some industries related to these trades, such as construction and fabricated metal product manufacturing, reached record highs in 2022.”

As Canadian immigration levels soared to hit a new record in 2021, immigrants comprised almost half of the growth in the share of Canadians with bachelor’s degrees or higher.

Canada To Boost Immigration From Indo-Pacific Region With $75 Million Over Five Years

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada To Boost Immigration From Indo-Pacific Region With $75 Million Over Five Years

The Canadian government is going to invest $74.6 million – and another $15.7 million in ongoing capital – to boost its ability to process immigration applications both within Canada. From the Indo-Pacific region, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has announced.

“The Indo-Pacific region is vital for Canada’s immigration and will continue to be in the future,” said the immigration minister.

“Today’s announcement brings significant new funding to help boost Canada’s visa application processing capacity at home and abroad. As we look to record growth in admissions in the years ahead, this funding will help promote greater diversity among those looking to visit, study, work or live in Canada.”

Read More Canada Immigration News

Double Our Canada Immigration Allotment, Newfoundland PNP Tells Federal Government
Nurse Aides And Orderlies Now Included Under Express Entry For Canada…
Canada Urged To Boost PNP Slots For International Students

The latest Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows India is the greatest source of new permanent residents to Canada.

In the first nine months of this year, Canada welcomed 99,620 new permanent residents from India, putting it on track to be the source of 132,877 new permanent residents, or more than 28.1 per cent of the projected total immigration of 471,787 new permanent residents, to Canada this year.

And India is only one of the 40 countries comprising the Indo-Pacific region. 

Global Affairs Canada considers the region also to include Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, North and South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, the 14 Pacific Island countries, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

Roughly one in five Canadians have some kind of family tie to that region which is expected to represent half of the world’s GDP by the year 2040.

The region is also of massive importance to Canadian colleges and universities as it is the source of roughly two-thirds of international students in Canada, each of whom comes here with a study permit.

Watch Video

“The future of the Indo-Pacific region is our future and Canada has a role in shaping it,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.

“We are investing to promote peace and security throughout the region, create trade opportunities, connect people, strengthen international assistance and protect human rights, and answering the call for expanded and deeper engagement in this region.”

Last year, India, China and the Philippines were the top three sources of permanent residents to Canada, accounting for 44 per cent of total immigration to the country.

The Immigration Levels Plan for 2022-2024 set an immigration target of 431,645 new permanent residents for this year but Canada is already on track to surpass that number and set another immigration record this year.

Immigration To Canada On Track To Set New Record Of 471,787 New Permanent Residents This Year

The newly-released Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025 sets the immigration target for next year at 465,000, less than the number of new permanent residents the country is expected to welcome this year.

The immigration target for 2024 is 485,000 new permanent residents and the country is hoping to welcome 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025.

Business leaders are pleased with those rising levels of immigration, seeing in them the opportunity to deal with acute labour shortages throughout the country.

Under the Express Entry system, immigrants can apply for permanent residency online if they meet the eligibility criteria for one of three federal immigration programs, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), and Canada Experience Class Program (CEC),  or a participating provincial immigration program.

Candidates’ profiles then are ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90 days.

Through a network of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities.

Canadian employers can also recruit and hire foreign nationals through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a part of the TFWP, can under normal processing situations lead to the granting of Canadian work permits and the processing of visa applications within two weeks.

Canada Aims To Improve Credential Recognition Of Immigrant Health Workers With $90m Spending

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada Aims To Improve Credential Recognition Of Immigrant Health Workers With $90m Spending

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has announced Canada is investing up to $90 million in projects to help foreign-educated immigrants get their credentials recognized.

In Charlottetown on Monday, the immigration minister launched a call for proposals for projects, each of which will be able to receive between $500,000 and $10 million.

“I am proud to announce Canada’s new and improved investments to support internationally-educated healthcare professionals to work in the healthcare sector,” said Fraser. 

Read More Canada Immigration News

Nurse Aides And Orderlies Now Included Under Express Entry For Canada Immigration
Canada Jobs Market Remains Tight As Hybrid Work Arrangements Become Popular
Top 100 Universities In World Include Toronto, British Columbia and McGill

“The efforts to support newcomers overcoming the barriers to foreign credential recognition provide opportunities to gain on-the-job experience and facilitate labour mobility announced today are essential ways of ensuring our healthcare system is one of the best in the world and we look forward to welcoming newcomers who will contribute to this system.”

Foreign-Trained Healthcare Professionals Deemed Essential To Resolving Labour Shortages

Qualifying projects will have to focus on one of three main ways of improving foreign credential recognition, including:

  • reducing barriers to foreign credential recognition for internationally-educated health professionals by improving recognition processes, simplifying steps in credential recognition and offering increased access to practice in the field;
  • providing internationally-educated health professionals with Canadian work experience relevant to their intended fields of work while incorporating wrap-around supports for participants such as childcare and transportation costs, as well as mentoring and coaching, or;
  • facilitating labour mobility between jurisdictions in Canada for healthcare professionals and internationally-educated health professionals to reduce the systemic and administrative barriers for healthcare professionals who wish to work in other jurisdictions in Canada.

“Internationally-educated healthcare professionals are essential to addressing current labour shortages across our healthcare system,” said Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough.

“To help reduce barriers to credential recognition, our government is investing in projects through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program that will support skilled professionals in gaining Canadian work experience within their fields of study.”

Organizations have until Jan. 30 next year to apply for funding for their proposals which must include: 

  • development, testing and implementation of credential recognition systems, with a focus on streamlining regulatory processes and/or harmonization of occupational requirements to improve the foreign credential recognition process and/or interprovincial labour mobility, and;
  • provision of employment supports such as wage subsidies, work placements, and mentoring to internationally-educated health professionals to help them integrate into the Canadian labour market.

Foreign Credential Recognition Program Invests $27m Per Year

“To ensure that patients across Canada get the care they need, when and where they need it, we are working to address the health workforce crisis and strengthen our healthcare system,” said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. 

“The successful projects under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program will help remove existing barriers and enable many qualified and skilled newcomers to gain Canadian work experience in areas of healthcare where we need them most.”

Canada is dealing with a massive shortage of physicians, nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists and medical laboratory technologists. Two years ago, a Statistics Canada report noted skilled newcomers were then under-used in the healthcare sector with 47 per cent of them either unemployed or underemployed in non-healthcare jobs needing only a high school education.

Watch Video

Every year, Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program invests roughly $27.1 million through agreements with provinces and territories, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders to help support the labour market integration of skilled newcomers. 

Since 2015, the program has invested more than $129 million in 92 projects. In its latest budget, Ottawa pledged an extra $115 million over five years starting in 2022-2023 and $30 million in ongoing funding for the program.

Under the Express Entry system, immigrants can apply for permanent residency online if they meet the eligibility criteria for one of three federal immigration programs, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), and Canada Experience Class Program (CEC),  or a participating provincial immigration program.

Candidates’ profiles then are ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90 days.

Through a network of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities.

Quebec Targets 998 Canada Immigration Candidates With Job Offers Outside Montreal

Colin Singer
-
0
Quebec Targets 998 Canada Immigration Candidates With Job Offers Outside Montreal

Quebec has issued 998 Canada immigration invitations in a new draw through the Arrima Expression of Interest system.

The November 24 draw had a minimum score of 603 points in the Quebec Expression of Interest points system and required candidates to have a job offer outside the Montreal Metropolitan region.

Quebec Expression Of Interest Draws 2022

Date of invitations Invites Issued Minimum Score Date of extraction from Arrima bank
Nov 24, 2022 998 603 November 21, 2022 at 6.30am
Sept 29, 2022 1,195 597 September 26, 2022 at 6.30am
Sept 15, 2022 1,009 563 September 13, 2022 at 6.30am
Sept 8, 2022 1,202 620 September 6, 2022 at 6.30am
August 11, 2022 58 – August 9, 2022 at 6.30am
July 7, 2022 351 551 to 624, dependent on category June 28, 2022 at 6.30 am
May 5, 2022 30 – May 2, 2022 at 6.30am
Apr 7, 2022 33 – April 3, 2022, 6.30am
Mar 10, 2022 506 577 March 7, 2022 at 6.30am
Feb 24, 2022 306 630 Feb 22, 2022 at 6.30am
Feb 10, 2022 523 592 Feb 07, 2022 at 6.30am
Jan 27, 2022 322 647 Jan 25, 2022 at 6.30am
Jan 13, 2022 512 602 Jan 9, 2022 at 6.30am

Read More Canada Immigration News

Quebeckers Want More Immigration, But Provincial Government Says No
Quebec Says It Can Only Take 50,000 Immigrants Despite Huge Rise In Canada’s Intake
Christine Frechette Takes Over From Jean Boulet As Quebec Immigration Minister

Video

How Does Quebec Expression of Interest Work?

  1. Candidates submit an online expression of interest profile via Arrima.
  2. Profiles enter into an Expression of Interest pool, where they are ranked against each other using a points system and are valid for 12 months.
  3. The highest-ranking candidates are invited to apply for a Quebec Certificate of Selection under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program via periodic draws.
  4. Candidates receiving an invitation have 60 days to submit a full application.
  5. Approved candidates who receive a nomination certificate (CSQ) may then apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.

Quebec Expression of Interest Points System

The Quebec Expression of Interest points system is used to rank profiles submitted via Arrima to the Expression of Interest bank, with the highest-ranked profiles invited to apply for Quebec immigration under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

Candidates and their spouse or common-law partner can score up to 1,320 points based on human capital and Quebec labour market factors.

What Are the Requirements for Quebec Expression of Interest?

The Quebec Expression of Interest points system involves points in two categories, with some including points for the spouse of common-law partner of the principal candidate.

  • Human capital factors:
    • French language ability.
    • French and English combined.
    • Age.
    • Work experience.
    • Education.
  • Quebec labour market factors:
    • Work experience in a field with a labour shortage.
    • Qualifications in one of Quebec’s areas of training.
    • Level of Quebec education.
    • Professional experience in Quebec.
    • Professional experience in the rest of Canada.
    • Job offer inside or outside Greater Montreal.

Quebec publishes lists of High Demand Occupations and Areas of Training that weigh considerably in the assessment.

Spouses Of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers To Be Allowed To Work

Colin Singer
-
0
Spouses Of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers To Be Allowed To Work

In a two-year measure designed to ease its labour shortage crisis, Canada is to allow the spouses of temporary workers to qualify for a work permit.

In a phased approach starting in January, the spouses and working age children of temporary workers will be able to work in Canada.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said the move would “help employers find the workers they need to fill their labour gaps by expanding work permits to family members at all skill levels”.

“Our government is going to continue helping employers overcome labour shortages, while also supporting the well-being of workers and uniting their families,” he said.

Read More Canada Immigration News

New NOC 2021 Takes Effect Today For Canada Immigration And Work Permit Applications
International Graduates Reassured Over New Open Work Permits
Hong Kongers Snap Up Canada Open Work Permits And Permanent Residence Visas

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says the new measure will see the families of 200,000 temporary workers become eligible to work in Canada.

The phase approached will begin with those with work permits through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program in January.

Phases two and three, including first the low-wage stream of the TFWP and then agricultural workers, will be rolled out in due course.

“This temporary measure aims to improve the emotional well-being, physical health and financial stability of workers by keeping families together,” IRCC said. 

“As a result, it is expected that the worker will better integrate into their overall work environment and community.”

Canada Family Work Permits: Three Phases

Phase One 

Family members of workers coming to Canada through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program will be eligible to apply for an open work permit in January 2023.

Phase Two

The aim of phase two is to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the TFWP, following consultations.

Phase Three

After consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess operational feasibility, phase three is to see the measure expanded to family members of agricultural workers.

“Labour is the number one challenge facing Canada’s tourism sector as we position ourselves for post-pandemic growth,” said Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism. 

Canada issued over 645,000 work permits between January and October this year – nearly four times the 163,000 issued over the same period last year.

Hybrid Work Arrangements Becoming Popular In Canada

A Statistics Canada report found hybrid work arrangements grew in popularity in November with almost one in 10 Canadian workers now opting to work from home at least part of the time and spend the rest of the week working in another location.

“The proportion of workers who have hybrid arrangements – that is, who usually work both at home and in a location other than home – rose by 0.4 percentage points to 9.4 per cent in November, continuing a gradual upward trend since the beginning of 2022,” the statistics agency said in its latest Labour Force Survey.

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

It’s particularly significant that the rise in hybrid work arrangements is not coming at the expense of work-from-home situations. In the post-COVID-19 pandemic reality, almost one in six Canadian workers is working from home.

“The proportion of workers who usually work exclusively at home, 15.6 per cent, was little changed in November,” states Statistics Canada.

Most of the new Canada jobs are full-time.

“Since November 2021, when full-time employment first surpassed its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level, full-time work has grown by 460,000 jobs, up 2.9 percent… Overall, the share of workers employed on a full-time basis increased by 0.8 percentage points to 81.9 per cent in the 12 months to November,” reports Statistics Canada.

Watch Video

Canada added 10,000 paid, filled jobs in November and the unemployment rate dipped from 0.1 per cent to 5.1 per cent with most newly-hired women aged 25 to 54 years of age with jobs in finance, insurance, real estate and recreation.

In November, another 21,000 people landed jobs in the finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing sectors with those jobs fairly evenly spread across the country.

The manufacturing sector also added jobs, 19,000, that month, building on the gain of 24,000 new jobs in October, with most of the latest jobs in that sector being in Quebec and Alberta.

Canada Jobs Market Remains Tight As Hybrid Work Arrangements Become Popular

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada Jobs Market Remains Tight As Hybrid Work Arrangements Become Popular

Almost one in 10 Canadian workers are now opting to work from home at least part of the time and spend the rest of the week working in another location as hybrid arrangements grew in popularity in November, reports Statistics Canada. 

“The proportion of workers who have hybrid arrangements – that is, who usually work both at home and in a location other than home – rose by 0.4 percentage points to 9.4 per cent in November, continuing a gradual upward trend since the beginning of 2022,” notes the statistics agency in its latest Labour Force Survey.

It’s particularly significant that the rise in hybrid work arrangements is not coming at the expense of work-from-home situations. In the post-COVID-19 pandemic reality, almost one in six Canadian workers is working from home.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Canada Labour Shortage: Top 10 Most In-Demand Jobs in Saskatchewan
Canada Job Vacancies At Nearly 995,000 In September
Arrival Of NOC 2021 Means Truck Drivers Now Eligible For Canada Express Entry

“The proportion of workers who usually work exclusively at home, 15.6 per cent, was little changed in November,” states Statistics Canada. 

Most of the new Canada jobs are full-time. 

“Since November 2021, when full-time employment first surpassed its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level, full-time work has grown by 460,000 jobs, up 2.9 per cent … Overall, the share of workers employed on a full-time basis increased by 0.8 percentage points to 81.9 per cent in the 12 months to November,” reports Statistics Canada.

In its Labour Force Survey released on Friday, Statistics Canada paints a picture of an on-going, very tight labour market in the country with employers increasingly under pressure to increase wages.

“Growth in the average hourly wages of employees remained above five per cent for a sixth consecutive month, rising 5.6 per cent, up $1.71 to $32.11 per hour, on a year-over-year basis in November,” reports Statistics Canada.

The country added 10,000 paid, filled jobs in November and the unemployment rate dipped 0.1 per cent to 5.1 per cent with most newly-hired women aged 25 to 54 years of age with jobs in finance, insurance, real estate and recreation. 

In November, another 21,000 people landed jobs in the finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing sectors with those jobs fairly evenly spread across the country.

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

The manufacturing sector also added jobs, 19,000, that month, building on the gain of 24,000 new jobs in October, with most of the latest jobs in that sector being in Quebec and Alberta.

“The information, culture and recreation industry saw employment gains of 16,000, up 1.9 per cent, in November,” reports Statistics Canada. 

“This was the first increase in the industry since public health restrictions were eased in February 2022, following the fifth wave of the pandemic. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the industry was up 35,000 jobs.”

Young Men Saw A Drop In Jobs In November, Notes Labour Force Survey

Employment slumped a bit for teenage boys and young men aged 15 to 24, particularly in construction and wholesale and retail trade.

“The number of people working in construction fell by 25,000, down 1.6 per cent in November, fully offsetting the increase recorded in October,” reports Statistics Canada.

“Most of the declines were in Alberta, which shed 13,000 jobs,  and British Columbia, which lost 9,200 jobs. (But) on a year-over-year basis, employment in construction was up by 84,000, or 5.9 per cent, entirely due to gains from December 2021 to March 2022.”

The overall employment rate for those of working age rose by 0.8 per cent to hit 84.7 per cent in November due primarily to gains by women whose core employment rate hit 81.6 per cent that month.

Watch Video

“This was the highest rate for core-aged women since comparable data became available in 1976, and similar to the previous high of 81.4 per cent recorded in May 2022,” notes Statistics Canada.

Immigrant women are also benefiting from this improving labour market for women in Canada.

“Among very recent immigrants, those admitted to Canada within the previous five years, the employment rate of core-aged women was 69.7 per cent, the highest for the month of November for this group since comparable data became available in 2006,” notes Statistics Canada.

The federal agency chalks this up to the higher levels of education of recently-immigrated women.

“This is consistent with results from the 2021 Census of Population showing that recent immigrants had higher levels of education and more pre-admission experience in Canada than previous cohorts, both factors that may support labour market integration,” notes Statistics Canada.

Across the country, only the francophone province of Quebec saw a rise in employment, of 28,000 jobs. Employment fell in five provinces, including Alberta and British Columbia.

Nurse Aides And Orderlies Now Included Under Express Entry For Canada Immigration 

Colin Singer
-
0
Nurse Aides And Orderlies Now Included Under Express Entry For Canada Immigration 

Canada’s Express Entry system has been expanded to include nurse aides and orderlies, meaning they can now immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program.

The change to the FSW which made that possible came on Nov. 16 when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) added 16 new jobs to its list of eligible occupations under that worker immigration program.

That increased the number of eligible occupations under the FSW on the same day the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 came into effect at the IRCC to 370. 

Read More Canada Immigration News

Arrival Of NOC 2021 Means Truck Drivers Now Eligible For Canada Express Entry
Ontario Updates Expression of Interest Scoring With Launch Of NOC 2021 For Canada Immigration
Arrival Of NOC 2021 Sees Canada Add 16 Occupations To Federal Skilled Worker Program

The 16 new occupations are all deemed to be jobs for which the worker must get a college diploma, an apprenticeship training of fewer than two years, or more than six months of on-the-job training.

The full list of newly-added jobs on the list of eligible occupations under the FSW includes the following:

  • NOC 13102 Payroll administrators
  • NOC 33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
  • NOC 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
  • NOC 33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
  • NOC 43100 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
  • NOC 43200 Sheriffs and bailiffs
  • NOC 43201 Correctional service officers
  • NOC 43202 By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
  • NOC 63211 Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
  • NOC 73200 Residential and commercial installers and servicers
  • NOC 73202 Pest controllers and fumigators
  • NOC 73209 Other repairers and servicers
  • NOC 73300 Transport truck drivers
  • NOC 73301 Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
  • NOC 73400 Heavy equipment operators
  • NOC 93200 Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors

Nurse aides and orderlies are the lifeblood of any hospital or nursing home as they are the people who help nurses, physicians and other hospital staff in the basic care of patients. 

IRCC Said Yes To Nursing Association’s Call For More Healthcare Workers With FSW Changes

They answer call signals, supply empty bedpans, dress and groom patients, serve up the meals and assist in feeding patients. They also take the patient’s blood pressure, temperature, and record and report fluid intake and output, and provide first aid. They transport patients, carry messages and reports between departments, and maintain inventories of medical supplies 

Jobbank, the federal government’s job board, ranks good to very good for the employment prospects of nurse aides and orderlies across Canada. The Indeed job website listed more than 1,100 jobs for these healthcare workers in late November.

Ottawa’s move to include nurse aides and orderlies in the list of eligible occupations under the FSW comes in the wake of a call by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) to prioritize human resources in the healthcare sector and help address nursing shortages across the country.

Watch Video

“We are seeing patients in Canada facing longer and longer wait times for medical and surgical procedures, while also facing increasing challenges to access the care they need,” said Sylvain Brousseau, president of CAN, in July. 

“Just over these past few weeks, we have witnessed many stories of emergency departments shutting down or reducing their hours of operation in many parts of the country. The reason for this crisis is very clear: Canada is facing a severe health workforce crisis and nursing shortages.”

The nurses’ association went so far as to state the sustainability of Canada’s healthcare system could not be maintained without further investment in the healthcare workforce.

By making these occupations eligible under the FSW, Ottawa is hoping to plug that hole in the country’s healthcare system. 

Canada Using Every Method Possible To Resolve Labour Shortages, Says Immigration Minister

“We are using all of the tools at our disposal to tackle labour shortages, particularly in key sectors like healthcare, construction, and transportation,” said Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“These changes will support Canadians in need of these services and they will support employers by providing them with a more robust workforce who we can depend on to drive our economy forward into a prosperous future. I’m thrilled to announce expanded pathways to permanent residence in Canada for these in-demand workers.”

Foreign nationals hoping to apply for permanent residence through the FSW must have one year of paid work experience within the last decade in jobs categorized as TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the NOC 2021 system.

Applicants under this program must also take a language test to prove that they possess sufficient language skills to successfully establish themselves in Canada. Language tests evaluate an applicant’s abilities with regard to:

  • listening
  • speaking
  • reading
  • writing

In order to be eligible for the FSW, an applicant needs to obtain at least the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 in all categories and show that he or she has enough money to support him or herself and any relatives upon arrival in Canada.

Ukrainians Targeted In Latest Manitoba Canada Immigration Draw

Colin Singer
-
0
Ukrainians Targeted In Latest Manitoba Canada Immigration Draw

Candidates impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were targeted in a new draw through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

The November 22 draw saw Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) issued to 11 candidates, requiring a minimum score of 60 points.

To be considered, candidates also had to meet the following requirements:

  • Be a citizen of Ukraine.
  • Minimum of CLB 4 in each language band.
  • Established connection to Manitoba (close relative, family-like, community, previous employment or studies in Manitoba).
  • Valid language test.
  • Score at least 60 points according to MPNP assessment criteria.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Manitoba Invites 518 Canada Immigration Candidates In New PNP Draw
Manitoba To No Longer Hold Immigration Detainees In Provincial Jails
Manitoba PNP Draw: Province Invites 436 Canada Immigration Candidates

July 18 Manitoba Draw

Stream Sub-Stream Letters of Advice to Apply Score of Lowest Ranked Candidate
Special Immigration Measure – Ukraine 11 60

Video

Double Our Canada Immigration Allotment, Newfoundland PNP Tells Federal Government

Colin Singer
-
0
Double Our Canada Immigration Allotment, Newfoundland PNP Tells Federal Government

Newfoundland and Labrador want Canada’s federal government to double the province’s allotment of immigrants who can settle there through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

“We are turning the tide of forecasted population decline, but we need the federal government to act on our call, so our population growth will not be obstructed, newcomers will not face longer processing times, and there will not be fewer immigration spaces of which to avail,” provincial Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne reportedly told Saltwire Network.

The provincial immigration minister wants Ottawa to boost Newfoundland and Labrador’s number of immigration spots to 3,050 from 1,593.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Here Are Newfoundland & Labrador’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Jobs
Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration: All You Need To Know To Immigrate To Canadian Province
All Provincial Canada Immigration Fees Dropped By Newfoundland & Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador’s latest call for a higher provincial allocation comes four months after a similar request by immigration ministers from all of Canada’s provinces and territories.

Last summer, they called on Ottawa to help businesses across the country hire more immigrants by speeding up the processing of applications and boosting provincial and territorial allocations. 

“Newcomers are crucial to filling in-demand jobs, growing our economy, and building a stronger Canada,” tweeted Ontario Immigration Minister Monte McNaughton in July. “Our job sites and factory floors need more boots on the ground.

“That’s why we’re calling on the federal government for a better deal.”

The immigration minister of Canada’s most populous province met with his counterparts from other provinces and territories to discuss the future of the country’s immigration system in Saint John, New Brunswick in late July.

The provincial and territorial ministers were then demanding a greater say in the selection of immigrants, more input into any modernization of the Express Entry system, and an increase to their allotments under the PNPs.

“Across Canada, jobs are going unfilled and paycheques unclaimed. Ottawa must let provinces select more of the skilled newcomers their communities need,” tweeted McNaughton.

“It’s time to stop holding Canada back.”

The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals that 760 new permanent residents settled in Newfoundland and Labrador through the PNP in the first nine months of this year.

PNP On Track To Welcome 1,013 New Permanent Residents To Newfoundland This Year

Based on that trend, Newfoundland, as the province is often affectionately dubbed, could see 1,013 new permanent residents this year through the PNP. 

That would be almost twice as many as the 570 new permanent residents under the PNP to the province in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

It would also be almost exactly double the 510 new permanent residents to the province under that program last year.

Newfoundland and Labrador claim the pace of immigration to the province has ground to a halt because no more spaces are available for this year. But the province is still accepting applications. They are just being deferred to next year.

In 2015, Newfoundland welcomed 1,120 new permanent residents. Based on the trend during the first nine months of this year, the province is on track to welcome 3,213 new permanent residents this year.

That level of immigration, if the current trend continues through to the end of the year, would mean a spike in the rate of immigration of 56.7 per cent over the 2,050 new permanent residents that settled in Newfoundland and Labrador last year.

The and Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is on track to help 753 new permanent residents come to Newfoundland and Labrador this year, up 83.7 per cent from 410 in 2021.

TR-To-PR Pathway Means 293 New Permanent Residents For Newfoundland And Labrador

The biggest percentage spike in immigration programs in Newfoundland this year, though, is in the number of new permanent residents through the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TR-to-PR) one-time pathway which is projected to welcome 293 new permanent residents, up 179.4 per cent from the 105 newcomers to the province last year.

Family sponsorship programs in Newfoundland and Labrador are expected to show growth of 25.7 per cent, with the number of new permanent residents arriving through them this year expected to hit 220.

And refugee programs are showing even greater growth, expected to end the year up 49.5 per cent with a total of 740 newcomers.

Immigration to Newfoundland and Labrador has been so strong this year as to drive the fastest rate of growth the province had seen in more than half a century during the second quarter.

Watch Video

“Our population is surging while employment continues to steadily increase,” said Byrne. “This speaks to the contributions our new residents are making to our economy and the work of our government to upskill and retrain workers for impactful careers in the provincial workforce.”

Statistics Canada figures show Newfoundland and Labrador’s population jumped by 2,929 people in the second quarter of this year, its fastest population increase since 1971.

That was music to Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey’s ears.

“Our government recognizes the critical importance of immigration and we continue to work hard to grow our population,” said Furey.

“Provincial population growth, by quarter, is at a 51-year high as increasing numbers of newcomers and expatriates are choosing Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Newfoundland Launched The Pathways Job Matching Program Last Year

Last year, the province launched the Pathways Job Matching program which is designed to help employers fill full-time jobs and newcomers find work more easily.

“By directly matching employers in need with people wanting to live and work here, we are helping to address the workforce needs of employers and support population growth,” said Byrne.

“Participating employers provide details on their vacant full-time jobs. Then, qualifying newcomers provide their job qualifications. Once that occurs, our staff begin matching newcomers who need jobs with employers who need workers.”

Here’s how the new program works.

Employers looking for workers visit the Pathways Job Matching program website and provide information on their full-time job openings. They can then submit details about their workforce needs on an ongoing basis and can e-mail the province to get answers to any questions they might have at [email protected].

Newfoundland and Labrador is trying to almost triple the number of new immigrants that settle in the province from its pre-Covid-19 pandemic high of 1,850 in 2019 to 5,100 new permanent residents per year in 2026 in a bid to resolve labour shortages there.

1...929394...246Page 93 of 246

Latest News

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv